As I stated in my review of the excellent Obšar EP, I love receiving unsolicited, blind requests from obscure, completely unknown (to me) bands for us to review their material.

So when I got an email from Moscow’s Renunciation, asking us to cover their second album, Make Babylon Great Again, I checked the band’s music out and was kinda blown away.

As their core, Renunciation, who are comprised of veterans from multiple Russian acts like Humaniac, Skylord (who are seriously killer), Instorm (who I covered waaaay back in 2013), and others, play a form of technical, melodic, blackened death metal. As a starting point, think modern Hypocrisy, but with the intensity cranked to 11, with a heavy, shreddy dash of old Children of Bodom, then add a little more technical death metal like and even an orchestral flourish or two akin to Soreption.

That gets you in the ballpark, but a lot is going on here. From the hawkish screeches of Demether Grail (which come close to getting grating Ill admit), the super shreddy, Alexi Laiho-inspired guitar work of Lexey Kotov, to the unpredictable, complex song structures that still somehow remain both catchy and frenetically impressive.

For a snapshot of the band’s impressive all-encompassing sound, check out blistering opener “Apex of Frustration”,  which is Hypocrisy on bath salts, and the 7th track “Idols and Ideals”, where choppy, stuttering riffs collide with Bodom-esque melodies and leads in a kaleidoscope of expert musicianship.

But some other elements are going on, such as the Arabic vibe and Saxophone in the title track, the more controlled stagger of “Shiva Invictus”, , or the 8th track “Mandaean Principle”, which is a total ripper of a song, bordering on grindcore, with more of a focus on shredding, complex riffs, vicious melodies, and a random techno dance beat.

Closer “Неизбежность” is a bit of an outlier (maybe a cover song?), as it only has moments of frenzied shreddage amid a darker, moodier overall vibe and some climactic clean folky vocals. But still, an intense, impressive and expertly played album.

[Visit the band's website]

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